The present invention relates to an electrical current supply device for supplying a direct current, a sinusoidal current or a pulsed current to a load, and more particularly to a current supply device comprising self-induction means for smoothing the current supplied or for absorbing transient phenomena. In a device of the kind to which the invention applies, said self-induction means include a magnetic circuit coupled with a conductor portion through which flows the current to be supplied, said conductor portion being for example in the form of a winding arranged around a portion of said magnetic circuit or in the form of a straight conductor portion passing through said magnetic circuit. Generally, the magnetic circuit has at least one air-gap used mainly to prevent saturation of the material forming the magnetic circuit.
Current sensing devices are known which use the detection of a magnetic field generated in the air-gap of a magnetic circuit by a current to be measured, said current flowing in a conductor coupled with this magnetic circuit.
The addition of a current sensing unit to a current supply device results in costs and in overall dimensions which are in many cases unacceptable in practice.
An object of the invention is to provide a current supply device of the above mentioned type which is combined with a current sensor in such a manner as to require minimal space and being quite inexpensive to manufacture.